Device for controlling a drilling accessory equipped with an angle measurement device

ABSTRACT

The control device is configured to remotely control a drilling accessory mounted on a support arm of a carrier machine, the control device including a control casing and an angle measurement device comprising a rotary member movably mounted in rotation on the control casing about an axis of rotation, the rotary member being equipped with a sighting device and the angle measurement device being configured to measure a predetermined angle (α) between a reference angular position of the rotary member and a selected angular position of the rotary member wherein the sighting device points towards a sighting point selected by an operator.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Stage of PCT Application No.PCT/FR2019/050860 filed on Apr. 11, 2019, which claims priority toFrench Patent Application No. 18/53143 filed on Apr. 11, 2018, thecontents each of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a control device configured to remotelycontrol a drilling accessory and equipped with an angle measurementdevice capable of measuring the orientation of a support arm of acarrier machine relative to a coal face.

BACKGROUND

During the exploitation of a quarry, it is known to carry out drillingand mining steps. These drilling and mining steps consist in particularin drilling drill holes in a rock following a firing plan and to performexplosives firing using explosives disposed in the drill holes so as tofractionate the rock into blocks of materials.

The overall quality of the exploitation essentially depends on thepositioning of the drill holes. The choice of the mesh of the drillholes is given by the techniques of exploitation and the nature of theground, while the quality of the realization depends on the drillingmaterial and its use (and particularly on the positioning of thedrilling accessories).

Particularly, the drilled holes must be as rectilinear as possible sothat the energy developed by the firing is correctly distributed andgives the expected effects. The drill holes are generally slightlyinclined relative to the vertical to facilitate the extraction ofmaterials during the firing. Each drill hole is characterized by itsdiameter, its depth and its inclination. The diameter and the depth toreach are given by the volume of the rock to be extracted and thecapacity of fragmentation of the used explosive. The inclination of eachdrill hole is given by the exploitation constraints of the quarry. Thus,an operator must maneuver his carrier machine and position the drillingaccessory equipping the latter precisely to ensure a compliance with thedesired firing plan.

In order to facilitate this task, it is common to use an inclinationangle indicator capable of indicating inclination angles x, y of thedrilling accessory. The inclination angles x, y are generally measuredby an inclinometer placed in the drilling accessory and allowing tomeasure the inclination angles of the drilling accessory relative to thevertical and respectively in a first vertical plane perpendicular to theextension plane of the support arm of the carrier machine and in asecond vertical plane parallel to the extension plane of the supportarm. In the case where the support arm of the carrier machine is notperpendicular to the coal face, the inclination angles x, y measured bythe inclinometer do not correspond to the apparent inclination anglesx′, y′ of the drilling accessory relative to the coal face. In order todetermine the apparent inclination angles x′, y′ of the drillingaccessory relative to the coal face, it is necessary to know the angle αbetween the extension plane of the support arm and the perpendicular tothe coal face. A trigonometric correction can then be applied such as:

sin(x)=sin(y)*sin(α)+sin(x)*cos(α)

sin(y)=sin(y)*cos(α)+sin(x)*sin(α)

The measurement of the angle α is traditionally done by an anglemeasurement device installed in the operator cab of the carrier machine.This angle measurement device is generally welded or bolted to thestructure of the carrier machine, which is not always in accordance withthe regulations in force. Indeed, the approval of the carrier machinescan be questioned when the structure of the cab is modified.

Furthermore, the modifications, and in particular the addition ofelements in the cab, can be difficult because the space is limited andthere is not necessarily a passage for signal transmission and powercables connecting the cab and the drilling accessory.

In addition, in order to measure the angle α, the operator located inthe cab of the carrier machine sights a sighting point far away so asthe axis formed by this sighting point and the measurement device isperpendicular to the coal face. Yet, the positioning of the measurementdevice can be problematic if it is in the operator field of vision, evenwhen he does not use it.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention aims at overcoming all or part of thesedisadvantages.

The technical problem underlying the invention therefore consists inproviding an angle measurement device for a carrier machine which doesnot alter the operator field of vision and which is not likely to alteror to weaken the structure of the carrier machine, while being easilyimplantable in the cab of the carrier machine.

To this end, the present invention concerns a control device which isportable and which is configured to remotely control a drillingaccessory mounted on a carrier machine, the control device including acontrol casing and an angle measurement device comprising a rotarymember movably mounted in rotation on the control casing about an axisof rotation, the rotary member being equipped with a sighting device andthe angle measurement device being configured to measure a predeterminedangle between a reference angular position of the rotary member and aselected angular position of the rotary member wherein the sightingdevice points towards a sighting point selected by an operator.

Such a configuration of the control device allows, when an operator isinstalled in the cab of a carrier machine wants to position a drillingaccessory, to easily determine the angle between the extension plane ofthe support arm of the carrier machine and the perpendicular to the coalface by orienting the sighting device towards a selected sighting pointso that the sighting direction indicated by the sighting device issubstantially perpendicular to the coal face.

The control device according to the present invention thus allows toreassemble the control function of the drilling accessory and themeasurement function of the required predetermined angle, withoutrequiring modification of the cab of the carrier machine and withouthindering the operator field of vision. Particularly, the anglemeasurement device according to the present invention is not likely toquestion the approval of the carrier machine.

The control device can further have one or more of the followingcharacteristics, considered alone or in combination.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle measurementdevice is disposed on an upper face of the control casing.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle measurementdevice is configured so that the sighting device points in a referencedirection substantially perpendicular to a front edge of the upper faceof the control casing when the rotary member is in the reference angularposition.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle measurementdevice is configured so that the sighting device points in a referencedirection substantially perpendicular to the front face of the controlcasing when the rotary member is in the reference angular position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the axis of rotation of therotary member is substantially perpendicular to the upper face of thecontrol casing.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle measurementdevice is configured so that the axis of rotation of the rotary memberis substantially vertical when the control casing is positioned on ahorizontal support.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the sighting device isconfigured to define a sighting direction.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the sighting deviceincludes a sighting marker provided on the rotary member.

According an embodiment of the invention, the sighting marker is formedby a sighting marking provided on the rotary member and/or aprotuberance formed on the rotary member.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the protuberance extendssubstantially radially relative to the axis of rotation of the rotarymember.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the front face of thecontrol casing is substantially flat.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the front face of thecontrol casing forms an acute angle relative to the upper face of thecontrol casing.

Advantageously, the front face of the control casing is intended to bepositioned substantially perpendicular to the extension plane of thesupport arm.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the sighting point isselected so that, when the rotary member is in the selected angularposition, a sighting direction indicated by the sighting device issubstantially perpendicular to a coal face.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the predetermined anglemeasured by the angle measurement device corresponds to an angle betweenthe extension plane of the support arm and a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the coal face.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the control device includesa display device, such as a display screen, disposed on the controlcasing.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the control device isconfigured to control by radio frequency the drilling accessory.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the control device isconfigured to remotely control a drilling mast mounted on the supportarm of the carrier machine.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the control casing includesa control panel for controlling the drilling accessory. Advantageously,the control panel includes at least one control button and/or at leastone lever or control handle.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the rotary member isintegrated in the control panel.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle measurementdevice is a potentiometer, a rotary sight or any other rotary elementintegrated in the control device and allowing to measure an anglebetween a reference of the control device and the rotary element.

The present invention further concerns a drilling apparatus comprising acarrier machine, a drilling accessory mounted on a support arm of thecarrier machine, and a control device according to the presentinvention.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the control device isconfigured to determine the angle between the extension plane of thesupport arm and a direction substantially perpendicular to the coalface.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the carrier machine isequipped with an operator cab.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the carrier machine isequipped with caterpillar tracks.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the carrier machine is ofthe excavator type.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the drilling apparatusincludes a measurement system configured to measure a first inclinationangle of the drilling accessory relative to a vertical direction and asecond inclination angle of the drilling accessory relative to avertical direction, the first inclination angle being measured in afirst vertical plane parallel to the extension plane of the support armand between the vertical direction and a direction of extension of thedrilling accessory, and the second inclination angle being measured in asecond vertical plane perpendicular to the extension plane of thesupport arm and between the vertical direction and the direction ofextension of the drilling accessory.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the measurement systemincludes at least one inclinometer, for example placed in the drillingaccessory.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the drilling apparatusincludes a processing unit configured to determine the first and secondcorrected inclination angles of the drilling accessory from the firstand second inclination angles measured by the measurement system and thepredetermined angle measured by the angle measurement device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the display device isconfigured to display the corrected inclination angles determined by theprocessing unit. Thus, the operator can visualize, directly on thecontrol device, the corrected inclination angles of the drillingaccessory relative to the coal face, and this without any additionalelement to be installed in the cab of the carrier machine to carry outthis function.

The present invention also concerns a method for positioning a drillingaccessory mounted on a support arm of a carrier machine, the positioningmethod including the following steps:

-   -   supplying a control device according to the present invention,    -   positioning the control device in the operator cab of the        carrier machine,    -   angular displacing the rotary member so that the sighting device        points towards a selected sighting point so that a sighting        direction indicated by the sighting device is substantially        perpendicular to a coal face, and    -   measuring the predetermined angle between the reference angular        position of the rotary member and the selected angular position        of the rotary member.

According to an implementation mode of the positioning method, thelatter further comprises a step of determining an angle between theextension plane of the support arm of the carrier machine and adirection substantially perpendicular to the coal face.

According to an implementation mode of the positioning method, thelatter further comprises a step of measuring a first inclination angleand a second inclination angle of the drilling accessory relative to thevertical direction, the first inclination angle being measured in afirst vertical plane parallel to the extension plane of the support armand between the vertical direction and a direction of extension of thedrilling accessory, and the second inclination angle being measured in asecond vertical plane perpendicular to the extension plane of thesupport arm and between the vertical direction and the direction ofextension of the drilling accessory.

According to an implementation mode of the positioning method, thelatter further comprises a step of determining first and secondcorrected inclination angles of the drilling accessory from the firstand second measured inclination angles and the predetermined measuredangle.

According to an implementation mode of the positioning method, thelatter further comprises a step of displaying the first and secondcorrected inclination angles on the display device of the controldevice.

According to an implementation mode of the positioning method, thelatter comprises a step of positioning the drilling accessory by takinginto account the first and second corrected inclination angles.

According to an implementation mode of the positioning method, the stepof positioning the control device in the operator cab of the carriermachine comprises the positioning of the control device on asubstantially horizontal support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Anyway, the invention will be better understood using the descriptionthat follows with reference to the appended schematic drawingsrepresenting, as a non-limiting example, an embodiment of thiscontrolling system.

FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of a drilling apparatus according to theinvention showing a support arm of the drilling apparatus according toan orientation which is not perpendicular relative to a coal face.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a control device according to the presentinvention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and front schematic views of the drillingapparatus of FIG. 1 showing a support arm of the drilling apparatusaccording to an orientation perpendicular to a coal face and showingrespectively the drilling accessory inclined according to a firstinclination angle and according to a second inclination angle.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are top schematic views of the drilling apparatusaccording to the invention in two different operating positions relativeto the coal face.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are front schematic views of the drilling apparatusaccording to the invention respectively in the two operating positionsrepresented in FIGS. 5 and 6 and respectively showing the drillingaccessory according to two different orientations relative to thevertical.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are side schematic views of the drilling apparatusaccording to the invention respectively in the two operating positionsrepresented in FIGS. 5 and 6 and respectively showing the drillingaccessory according to two different orientations relative to thevertical.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 10 represent a drilling apparatus 2 comprising a carriermachine 3, of the excavator type, equipped with an operator cab 4 and asupport arm 5. The carrier machine 3 can for example include tracks 6.

The drilling apparatus 2 further comprises a drilling accessory 7mounted on the support arm 5 of the carrier machine 3, and a controldevice 8 which is advantageously portable and which is configured toremotely control the drilling accessory 7, for example by radiofrequency. The drilling accessory 7 is advantageously a drilling mastextending according to a direction of extension De.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 2, the control device 8 includes acontrol casing 9 intended to be positioned in the operator cab 4. Thecontrol casing 9 comprises a front face 11 which is substantially flatand which is intended to be positioned substantially perpendicular tothe orientation of the support arm 5, that is to say substantiallyperpendicular to an extension plane Pe of the support arm 5. Accordingto a variant of the invention, the front face 11 could be domed or beformed by a plurality of sections of different inclinations.

The control casing 9 further includes an upper face 12 equipped with adisplay device 13, such as a display screen, and a control panel 14serving for controlling the drilling accessory 7. The control panel 14can for example include at least one control button and/or at least onecontrol lever, also named control joystick.

The control device 8 further includes an angle measurement device 15comprising a rotary member 16 disposed on the upper face 12 of thecontrol casing 9. The rotary member 16 can for example be positioned onor outside the control panel 14. The rotary member 16 is movably mountedin rotation relative to the control casing 9 about an axis of rotation Awhich is perpendicular to the upper face 12 of the control casing 9 andwhich is substantially vertical when the control casing 9 is positionedon a horizontal support.

The rotary member 16 is equipped with a sighting device 18 configured toindicate a sighting direction Dv. Advantageously, the sighting device 18includes a sighting mark provided on the rotary member 16, the sightingmark can for example be formed by a sighting marker provided on therotary member 16, such as an arrow, a line, a drawing, and/or aprotuberance formed on the rotary member 16.

The angle measurement device 15 is more particularly configured so thatthe sighting device 18 points in a reference direction Dr substantiallyperpendicular to the front face 11 and/or to a front edge 19 of theupper face 12, when the rotary member 16 is in a reference angularposition.

Furthermore, the angle measurement device 15 is configured to measure apredetermined angle α between the reference angular position of therotary member 16 and a selected angular position of the rotary member 16in which the sighting device 18 points towards a sighting point 21selected by an operator.

Advantageously, the sighting point 21 is selected so that, when therotary member 16 is in the selected angular position, the sightingdirection Dv indicated by the sighting device 18 is substantiallyperpendicular to a coal face 22. Thus, the predetermined angle αmeasured by the angle measurement device 15 corresponds moreparticularly to an angle between the extension plane Pe of the supportarm 5 and a direction perpendicular to the coal face 22.

The drilling apparatus 2 further includes a measurement system 23configured to measure a first inclination angle x of the drillingaccessory 7 relative to a vertical direction V and a second inclinationangle y of the drilling accessory 7 relative to the vertical directionV, the first inclination angle x being measured in a first verticalplane parallel to the extension plane Pe of the support arm 5 andbetween the vertical direction V and the direction of extension De ofthe drilling accessory 7, and the second inclination angle y beingmeasured in a second vertical plane perpendicular to the extension planePe of the support arm 5 and between the vertical direction V and thedirection of extension De of the drilling accessory 7. The measurementsystem 23 can in particular include at least one inclinometer, forexample placed in the drilling accessory.

The drilling apparatus 2 also includes a processing unit 24 configuredto determine first and second corrected inclination angles x′, y′ of thedrilling accessory 7 from the first and second inclination angles x, ymeasured by the measurement system 23 and the predetermined angle αmeasured by the angle measurement device 15. The processing unit 24 canfor example be disposed in the control device 8 or in the operator cab 4of the carrier machine 3. The processing unit 24 could also be disposedin the drilling accessory 7 or on the carrier machine 3.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the extension plane Pe of the support arm 5 isperpendicular to the coal face 22, the predetermined angle α is zero,and the first and second corrected inclination angles x′, y′ are thenrespectively equal to the first and second inclination angles x, y. Onthe contrary, when the predetermined angle α is not zero, then the firstand second corrected inclination angles x′, y′ are respectivelydifferent from the first and second inclination angles x, y.

Advantageously, the display device 13 is configured to display thecorrected inclination angles x′, y′ determined by the processing unit24. Thus, the operator can visualize, directly on the control device 8,the corrected inclination angles x′, y′ of the drilling accessory 7relative to the coal face 22, and this without any additional elementhaving to be installed in the operator cab 4 of the carrier machine 3 tocarry out this function.

A method for drilling a coal face using a drilling apparatus accordingto the present invention will now be described. Such a drilling methodincludes the following steps:

-   -   positioning, by an operator installed in the operator cab 4 of        the carrier machine, the control device 8 on a horizontal        support or on his knees so that the upper face of the control        casing 9 is substantially horizontal,    -   angular displacing the rotary member so that the sighting device        18 points towards a selected sighting point 21 so that the        sighting direction Dv indicated by the sighting device 18 is        substantially perpendicular to the coal face 22,    -   measuring by the angle measurement device the value of the        predetermined angle α,    -   determining the angle between the extension plane Pe of the        support arm 5 of the carrier machine 3 and a direction        substantially perpendicular to the coal face 22,    -   determining the first and second inclination angles x, y by the        measurement system 23,    -   determining the first and second corrected inclination angles        x′, y′ by the processing unit 24, displaying the first and        second corrected inclination angles x′, y′ on the display        device,    -   positioning the drilling accessory 7 by the operator by taking        into account the first and second corrected inclination angles        x′, y′ displayed on the display device,    -   drilling a drill hole using the drilling accessory,    -   repeating the preceding steps so as to drill a plurality of        drill holes according to a predetermined firing plan.

As goes without saying, the invention is not limited to the soleembodiment of this control device, described above as an example, on thecontrary, it encompasses all the variants.

1. A control device which is portable and which is configured toremotely control a drilling accessory mounted on a support arm of acarrier machine, the control device including a control casing and anangle measurement device comprising a rotary member movably mounted inrotation on the control casing about an axis of rotation, the rotarymember being equipped with a sighting device and the angle measurementdevice being configured to measure a predetermined angle between areference angular position of the rotary member and a selected angularposition of the rotary member in which the sighting device pointstowards a sighting point selected by an operator.
 2. The control deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the angle measurement device is disposedon an upper face of the control casing.
 3. The control device accordingto claim 2, wherein the angle measurement device is configured so thatthe sighting device points in a reference direction substantiallyperpendicular to a front edge of the upper face of the control casingwhen the rotary member is in the reference angular position.
 4. Thecontrol device according to claim 1, wherein the angle measurementdevice is configured so that the axis of rotation of the rotary memberis substantially vertical when the control casing is positioned on ahorizontal support.
 5. The control device according to claim 1, whereinthe sighting device includes a sighting mark provided on the rotarymember.
 6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the sightingpoint is selected so that when the rotary member is in the selectedangular position, a sighting direction indicated by the sighting deviceis substantially perpendicular to a coal face.
 7. The control deviceaccording to claim 1, which includes a display device disposed on thecontrol casing.
 8. The control device according to claim 1, which isconfigured to control by radio frequency the drilling accessory.
 9. Adrilling apparatus comprising a carrier machine, a drilling accessorymounted on a support arm of the carrier machine, and a control deviceaccording to claim
 1. 10. The drilling apparatus according to claim 9,which includes a measurement system configured to measure a firstinclination angle of the drilling accessory relative to a verticaldirection and a second inclination angle of the drilling accessoryrelative to the vertical direction, the first inclination angle beingmeasured in a first vertical plane parallel to an extension plane of thesupport arm and between the vertical direction and a direction ofextension of the drilling accessory, and the second inclination anglebeing measured in a second vertical plane perpendicular to the extensionplane of the support arm and between the vertical direction and thedirection of extension of the drilling accessory.
 11. The drillingapparatus of claim 10, which includes a processing unit configured todetermine first and second corrected inclination angles of the drillingaccessory from the first and second inclination angles measured by themeasurement system and the predetermined angle measured by the anglemeasurement device.
 12. A method for positioning a drilling accessorymounted on a support arm of a carrier machine, the positioning methodincluding the following steps: supplying a control device according toclaim 1, positioning the control device in the operator cab of thecarrier machine, angular displacing the rotary member so that thesighting device points towards a sighting point selected so that asighting direction indicated by the sighting device is substantiallyperpendicular to a coal face, and measuring the predetermined anglebetween the reference angular position of the rotary member and theselected angular position of the rotary member.
 13. The control deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein the angle measurement device is configuredso that the axis of rotation of the rotary member is substantiallyvertical when the control casing is positioned on a horizontal support.14. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the sightingdevice includes a sighting mark provided on the rotary member.
 15. Thecontrol device according to claim 14, wherein the sighting point isselected so that when the rotary member is in the selected angularposition, a sighting direction indicated by the sighting device issubstantially perpendicular to a coal face.
 16. The control deviceaccording to claim 15, which includes a display device disposed on thecontrol casing.
 17. The control device according to claim 16, which isconfigured to control by radio frequency the drilling accessory.
 18. Thecontrol device according to claim 2, wherein the angle measurementdevice is configured so that the axis of rotation of the rotary memberis substantially vertical when the control casing is positioned on ahorizontal support.
 19. The control device according to claim 2, whereinthe sighting device includes a sighting mark provided on the rotarymember.
 20. The control device according to claim 2, wherein thesighting point is selected so that when the rotary member is in theselected angular position, a sighting direction indicated by thesighting device is substantially perpendicular to a coal face.